Stags Beat Slugs, Lose To Pirates In NCAA Tournament

The Stags continued their excellent form on Saturday in the first round of the NCAA Championships in Santa Cruz, CA.  Having not reached the NCAAs since 2000, #3 seeded CMS hoped to prove to everybody that SCIAC was a conference to be reckoned with.  Sure enough, on Saturday the Stags upended the #2 seeded UC Santa Cruz Banana Slugs on their own turf, beating them 2-1.  The two teams met previously this season and battled to a 1-1 draw.  In front of an estimated 1,000 fans, CMS fell behind just eight minutes into the game off of a corner kick that jumbled around the box and a UCSC forward put past keeper Ryan Fahey (SR, Bellevue, WA).  This goal, however, would be the only one that Fahey and the CMS defense would allow.  Shortly after the initial goal, the Stags pushed forward and won a corner kick.  Rodrigo Bravo Benitez (FR, San Diego) whipped in a corner from the right side and found Eric Bean (SO, Des Moines, IA) who deflected the ball into the net.  CMS continued to put pressure on the Slugs and brought their momentum into the second half.  It only took the Stags 12 minutes into the second half to get the go-ahead goal through midfielder Tony Garcia (SO, Pueblo, CO).  A dangerous free-kick took a few bounces and deflections and found the foot of Garcia.  He blasted the ball into the lower right corner, giving the keeper no chance and silencing the UCSC fans.  The Stags were tested late in the game, but thanks to some miraculous saves from Fahey and a solid backline they were able to hang on for the victory.  The teams both recorded 10 shots each and Fahey ended the game with three saves. 
            On Sunday, CMS took on the #1 Whitworth University Pirates who had defeated Chapman University the day prior.  The Pirates caught the Stags off-guard early in the game and scored off of a corner kick two minutes in.  This served as a wake-up call for CMS and they immediately began to settle the ball and put pressure on Whitworth but were unable to find the back of the net before halftime.  After reorganizing at the half, the Stags were able to level the game in the 51st minute.  David Taylor (FR, Brookline, MA) found a streaking Jared Bernstein (FR, Los Gatos) who dribbled past the Pirate defense and drilled a shot into the lower left.  CMS continued the pressure, forcing good saves from the Whitworth keeper throughout the game.  In the 83rd minute, it was the Pirates who split the Stags defense and got their second goal of the game on a breakaway.  Whitworth was able to hang onto the lead and advance to the round of 16 in the NCAA Championships, ending CMS's five game win streak.  CMS outshot the Pirates 17-6, while both teams recorded 12 fouls and 6 corners apiece. 
            The Stags finished their season 12-8-2 overall and won the SCIAC Conference Tournament.  They graduated four seniors: Ryan Fahey, Nicholas Sparks, Jake Feldman, and Tomislav Zbozinek.